A fragment of a tragedy

4/18/1986

On January 28, 1986, the space shuttle Challenger exploded just seconds after liftoff. This April 18, 1986, photograph shows a segment of the right wing from the wreckage of the Challenger. The crew who died in the explosion of the 25th space shuttle mission included high school teacher Christa McAuliffe, who would have been America’s first private citizen in space.

National Archives, Records of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration